Red Torrent Returns
by raven lynn morrigan
Summary: Many years after the events of Message. The evil Red Torrent is revived and it wants to finish where he left off with Shin who already had his hands full trying to cope as a single parent to his young daughter. Prequel to my Samurai Troopers TNG story. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

this story came about when i was watching the Ronin Warriors English dub while working on a series of wallpapers inspired by the show that was started last year. i thought there was so much more that could have been done with the Evil Red Torrent story line. i-as a rule-don't do episode rewrites so i was going to abandon the idea that started bouncing around inside my head-but when i started thinking in terms of my next generation story line-i thought that just maybe i could make this work and i liked the idea of showing the kids with their dads when they were younger and i hope to have a chance to do so with the other 4 as well in the near future. in this story widowed Shin is living in Australia with his young daughter half-Aussie Rachel (at least so far as they know at that time she is) and the others are scattered around the world-the why that so far only exists in my mind is another story altogether that hasn't been written yet and with the turn for the worse my health has taken recently it may never be-if i can finish the main Samurai Trooper next gen story it may very well be the last one i get the chance to finish-i fear. this prequel part of that story takes place right after Shin brings Rachel home after having spent a year with her in Japan after her "surfing accident" mentioned in the TNG story line.

* * *

Red Torrent Returns

Early morning on a beach in Japan that was once the site of a major battle between one lone Samurai Trooper-a Warlord from the Empire of Doom and his evil armor double of the Samurai. The incoming tide uncovers pieces of an abandoned rusting armor that lost that battle.

An evil spirit that just refuses to die gathers above the armor. "Arise Red Torrent. Arise and do my bidding."

Slowly-very slowly the pieces of armor begins to move and come together. A rusting hulk of the former evil spirited armor that once very nearly defeated the Warrior of Torrent takes shape Now it is surely no longer even a match for the strongest of breezes in its current state as it finishes reforms looking up at the powerful spirit before it.

"Do as I command Red Torrent and I will make you more powerful than you ever were in your prime."

"More powerful than Torrent?"

"More power than all the Samurai Troopers put together. To gain this power you must defeat all of the Samurai that have plagued me so and interfered in my plans."

"I will do as you bid to gain the power to settle the score with Torrent."

"Let not your hatred of the warrior who defeated cloud your mind. I want them all destroyed. Do not let your desire for revenge be your downfall." The spirit focus its power on the rusting hulk of armor.

In a blinding flash of light it is no longer just an evil spirit inhabiting an armor that looks as new as the day it was forged from the warlord's venom-thanks to the spirits magics Red Torrent now looks human-a double of warrior of torrent.

"You may find your new form useful in drawing out most of the samurai and striking them down before they even realize you are not the warrior torrent they all know and trust. Remember your vow Red Torrent. Go now and show the warriors that I am still a force a to be reckoned with."

-1-

Shin stands in the open doorway of the shed watching his daughter grab a surf board. "And just where do you think you're going?"

"Surfing"

"You don't think its a little too soon?"

Rachel turns to face her papa. "You promised."

Shin thinks that its been just over a year since the surfing accident that almost killed the little girl. A few months ago she could barely even move on her own. "I really don't think its a good idea this soon."

"Please."

"Maybe later-when the tide isn't coming in."

"But I don't want to wait that long-all the best waves will be gone by then."

"Rachel-"

"-I'll be careful papa."

Shin looks down at his daughter who gazes up at him with big blue-green eyes that mirror his own. The fear after pulling her from the water and the countless hours spent at the hospital waiting-wondering if she would ever wake up weighs heavily on him.

"You promised I could go surfing when we came home, papa."

"I didn't mean the exact moment we got back."

Rachel looks over at her dad's board changing tactics. "You could come too. You haven't been surfing in ages."

Shin glances over at the board-his head says no-but his heart tells him the moment he turns his back she will be out in the water no matter what he says and giving her the chance to sneak off alone isn't something he is about to do. "You know we are both going to be in hot water if your nana finds out about this."

Rachel squeals with delight before hugging her papa on the way out of the shed. "Race you!"

"Wait...I'm not finished yet."

Sighing Rachel stops just outside the doorway pouting.

"We will go out for a little while and then we come back in and that's it for the day. You need to ease back into it after all you've been through."

"Okay, I'll take it easy. Can we go now?" Rachel starts to turn away but stops as her dad speaks again.

"And-no more sneaking out of the house at night to surf. I don't want you alone out there."

"You knew about that?"

Shin nods as he looks down at Rachel. They have yet after all this time to deal with the issue that lead to her accident. "One more thing. I want you to promise me that when school starts again you won't skip it to go surfing anymore either."

"But its so boring! I already know everything the teachers go over."

"Why didn't you tell me that before now?"

"I always passed tests no matter how much I skipped-it wasn't like I was failing."

"We will talk to the school about all of that when summer is over. Now do you want to go surfing or not?"

"Okay-I promise...but just remember you made me if teachers start calling you telling you that I keep falling asleep in class."

"As long as you're there in class to fall asleep."

"Are you done now?"

"Okay lets go."

"Yay!"

Shin watches for a moment as Rachel runs down the beach before picking up his own surf board. "Just like her mama." He hurries outside to catch up with her before she gets too far ahead.

-1-

Red Torrent well remembers what he promised the evil spirit but right now he only has one thing on his mind. He walks into the ocean leaving a trail of venom in his wake as he seeks out the Warrior of Torrent.

* * *

Chapter 1 Playlist:

Evil Spirit that just refuses to die: O Death-Ralph Stanley

Red Torrent: The Master's Call-Marty Robbins

Shin: High Noon-? Cowboy Compilation

Rachel: Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head-? (Cover)

teaser chapter-love em or hate em this was the natural cut point for a first chapter and i thought this story would be easier to follow separated into chapters as opposed to one all thrown together in short story format.

i so the love the part between Shin and Rachel. i tried to make Shin stern with her yet at the same time make him struggle with doing so and partly because like everyone else he just can't resist the little girls charms which is part of what ultimately lead to her getting away with skipping school so much before the school ever called her dad to report it (just a little back-story information there to try to clear up some past events that only get referenced in passing during that conversation) and the rest of his struggle being that Rachel is Daddy's little girl and it would break his heart to upset her by flat out telling her no when her heart is set on something.


	2. Chapter 2

i realize there is a discrepancy between the Japanese names and English dub terms in this chapter. that's been a struggle i've had since i started the main TNG story and i just lost the will to fight it here in this one. so Japanese names with English version of the terms like Warrior of Torrent and Red Torrent are intermingled. i apologize for that i'm in rush mode trying to get all this done given my health issues and my editor that would normally correct it has a lot on his plate these days as well and doesn't have the time to go in after me and clean it up.

* * *

Red Torrent Returns

***2***

Is there some mysterious trail of dead fish in the ocean between Japan that ends very close to the beach house being reported on the news? Its very hard for Shin to focus on what the reporters are talking about for Rachel's nana bustling about in the kitchen-but what he does hear makes him very uneasy. She has made it very clear that she is none too happy with him for taking Rachel away to Japan for a year even though he found help so that she can run and play just like other kids her age rather than being bed ridden unable to move after the surfing accident a year ago.

"So you just let her run back into the water like nothing ever happened?"

Shin sighs as he turns off the TV better to get this over with now than drag it out with the woman. "Do you really think you can keep her away? I gave up trying years ago. At least I got her to promise to stop sneaking out at night and skipping school to surf if I let her go out for awhile yesterday-she never breaks her promises. I was with her the whole ti-"

"-don't you think that's her problem? By letting Rachel have her way you spoil her too much."

Just looking at the gifts she heaped on Rachel after coming home-Shin thinks she has some nerve telling him that he spoils the girl-but he holds his tongue. He understands where most of her anger comes from-today would have been her daughter-his wife's birthday and its always been him on which she blamed her daughter's death. "Have you seen Rachel this morning?"

"She was gone when I got up which was pretty early-at least she isn't out surfing. Her board is still in the shed."

Somehow Shin doubts that nana checked for any of Rachel's older boards or his for that matter. "She doesn't sleep as much now. Maybe's she's out on the beach looking for shells."

Nana holds her tongue that is something little Rachel would always delight in bringing her whenever Shin brought her to her home for a visit before the accident last year.

"I'll go out and look for her." His thoughts turn to Rachel growing up as he leaves the house. It was always impossible to keep her away from the ocean-any source of water for that matter. As he often has before he wonders did his youth spent as the warrior of torrent somehow come to have an affect on his daughter? He saw nothing like she seems to do with water affect Ryo's son Daisuke with fire when they met up in Japan.

-2-

Red Torrent stands on the beach watching who he is sure must be Torrent's daughter. Though the shade of red hair varies drastically between the two she very much resembles the warrior of Torrent. To get to him-Red Torrent decides to use the girl. Without the armor he walks closer to the young girl who practices the martial arts moves she picked up over the last few months.

Rachel stops suddenly looking up as a shadow falls over her. She becomes very wary-something is wrong here and she doesn't know how she knows that. All that's clear to her that if this is her papa something is very wrong with him at the moment. "I wasn't out surfing I promise. I was just practicing like you taught me."

"I never said you couldn't go surfing."

"Yesterday you said-"

"-that was yesterday wasn't it? Its a brand new day and things are going to change around here very soon."

"Did you fall out of bed and hit your head or something? Sounds like you let a few kangaroos get loose in the top paddock this morning."

Red Torrent laughs at the girls humor.

Shin stills as he nears the top of a small hill of sand. He heard the news correctly this morning after all it seems and he knows exactly what is behind it but not how or why its here nor how it looks exactly like him. He is torn as it is so much closer to Rachel than he is right now. He's not sure he could get to Rachel or that she could evade the evil Red Torrent before he could step in to protect her. He has told her stories about his time as the warrior of torrent but would she realize what is happening is related to that if he stepped out and she had to attempt to decide who is really her father? He ducks down as he spies Rachel's nana walking along the surf line. He has never been so glad to see her in his life.

"Rachel Yuriko! Just what do you think you're doing out here? Its time to come in and eat your breakfast."

"I was just practicing. I don't want to end up stuck in bed again."

"You can practice once you have some food in your belly. Its better for you to work out with some food in your sToumach."

Rachel watches as nana turns to the thing that looks like Papa as if there is nothing wrong here.

"You can't even teach the girl to get some food in her before she exercises. What kind of a father are you? Given your tastes I shouldn't expect you to teach her anything decent." She grabs Rachel's hand and drags her away.

Red Torrent watches the old woman practically drag the little girl away. He doesn't even turn around once the two of them are out of sight. "What did you do to piss off that old hag?"

Sensing the opportunity to give Rachel and her nana more time to get back to the house and safely inside he hopes-Shin answers the question. "I got her daughter pregnant and she died having the child."

"Really?" Red Torrent turns around. "I never would have pegged you as the type that went after girls."

"It was one drunken night I barely remember...but I remembered enough not to leave the woman after she found out she was pregnant."

"And that old hag found out how it happened and was convinced you were only using her daughter to get a kid of your own."

"Something like that."

"You Samurai disgust me-always so noble...but then you would do anything for that little girl wouldn't you? Cute kid by the way. Rachel was it?"

"You'll have to kill me before you get anywhere near her again."

"I intend to do just that."

Shin can only hope Rachel and her Nana have had enough time to get inside now-he has drawn this out as long as he dares anymore and he fears Red Torrent will catch onto what he's up to and go after them for spite. "I defeated you. How did you come back?"

"An old foe wants you and all the others gone. Lucky for the others I'm only interested in putting an end to you."

"Old foe-?"

"-Never mind the who or how I came to be this way. We have a score to settle and just like before in the end there can be only one Torrent and that will be me."

Shin looks toward the house. Are they far enough away from it to keep Rachel and her Nana from finding out what's going on here he wonders? "You sound so sure of you're self after I defeated you the last time."

"You got lucky last time but you won't be this time. Enough talk-put on your armor and lets finish this once and for all. Once I take care of you I may go after the others after all. They may have brats of their own that need to be kept out of the way and I think-judging by the girls fighting skills-she may come in handy."

The time to worry about what Rachel and Nana may see is over as Shin watches Red Torrent summon his evil armor. He quickly prepares to dawn his own. "Busaro Suiko!" He is transformed not in to the aqua blue armor mirror of what Red Torrent now wears-that armor disappeared long ago in Africa. What he now dawns is the ancient looking version Suzanagi made for Warriors.

"Different armor...not bad. What happened to the original? Never mind it doesn't matter. This new armor won't save you from me if that's what you think."

Shin just hopes Suzanagi's armor defeats this thing as he brandishes his spear for battle.

-2-

She scowls as Nana rummages around talking bad about her Papa like she always does-some of it she doesn't entirely understand-but Rachel tunes her out rather than throwing her usual tantrum to get her to stop it. While Nana's back is turned Rachel gets up-picks up her chair and sits it down in front of the sink where she climbs up on it to look out across the beach. Something is going on out there with her papa and she wants to know what-yet at the same time she thinks its best to keep Nana from finding out about it.

Turning around she see Rachel standing on the chair in front of the window. "Rachel Yuriko get down off that chair this instant! After all you've been through this last year-do you want to fall and end up back in the hospital?"

Suddenly a temper tantrum doesn't seem like such a bad idea to Rachel. "Mouri."

"What?"

Rachel climbs down off the chair and turns to face her Nana. "It comes after Yuriko."

"Don't get smart with me missy."

"I'm not being smart-and my name is not missy. You always forget it.'

"I haven't forgotten it."

"Then how come you never use it?"

"Finish your breakfast Rachel."

"You wouldn't even use Yuriko if Papa had picked it out instead of Mama would you?"

"That's enough Rachel I don't want to hear anymore about that no good-"

"-You're always so mean to Papa and he never did anything to you! I hate it cause you always blame him for Mama's death. If you want to blame someone then blame me since she died trying to have me!" Crying-or rather pulling off a convincing fake-Rachel runs off to her room and slams the door. She quickly locks it before nana can come in. The tantrum was to get away from nana and keep her away from papa. Whatever is wrong her papa needs help she feels that as-she looks up at the moon over the turbulent crashing wavy ocean mural on one wall papa always claims she painted. She does lots of things according to others that she never remembers. Rachel pulls out an old wooden box from under her bed. On it carved in Japanese calligraphy is her is middle name Yuriko-which she runs her fingers across. Opening it she pulls out the art supplies that are in it then takes out the drawing pad. She closes her eyes as she flips through what holds much more than the simple stick figures she claims to only be able to draw. She doesn't even hear it as nana knocks on the door trying to get her to answer as she picks up a charcoal stick-nor does she see the rough outlines quickly taking shape of what quickly comes to look like her papa as one of the armored warriors from his stories fighting himself-or someone who looks like him.

-2-

Red Torrent was one of the worst foes he faced and it certainly lives up to that now. And perhaps the fact that he-himself is older less nimble that he used to be so long ago is making this harder. He backs off-winded from his efforts.

"Is that all you've got Torrent? I'm disappointed. I was hoping for more of a challenge. I think I'll just end this now and put you out of your misery."

Realizing what Red Torrent means to do Shin quickly advances with his spear...but stops when the ocean suddenly goes from a near flat calm to raging. He remembers well what triggered this type of sudden change in the past. "No...not again..."

As he is distracted Red Torrent deals a mighty blow to the Warrior of Torrent with his own spear-knocking the warrior to the ground. "Perhaps I won't have to waste my power on you after all. You've grown soft over the years." Red Torrent looks over his shoulder as a shadow falls over the two of them. "What the-?"

Shin manages to roll out of the way as Red Torrent is distracted by the towering wave that slams down on him moments later. He has never seen anything as compact and localized as that one was-but in a way he supposes he should be grateful for the help as the wave carries him further up the beach away from the evil double. When the water finally begins to calm and draw back out to sea Shin rushes back but sees no sign of Red Torrent. As he searches the area for any sign of him-Shin thinks it might not be such a bad idea to call the others and tip them off that Red Torrent mentioned coming after them as well.

-2-

"Rachel Yuriko Mouri...are you listening to me?"

Rachel snaps the art tablet closed suddenly and looks up at the locked door. Did she hear it right? Did nana just say her full name. Rachel drops the art supplies quickly back in the box-closes it and shoves it back under the bed. As she gets up she finds one badly drawn loose leaf stick figure picture and colored even worse. Rachel picks it up before she walks over to the door and opens it.

"Why didn't you answer me? I've been trying to get you to open that door for several minutes." Nana kneels down in front of Rachel. "I'm sorry Rachel. I didn't mean to upset you. Its just...well things are just difficult today." She takes a good long look at her granddaughter trying to find the right words to explain what she means when she spies Rachel's dirty hands. "Why are your hands so dirty?"

Rachel looks down at her hands blackened from the charcoal then holds up the stick figure drawing for Nana to see. It at least appears to resemble an angel she shrugs as she hands it to nana. "Mama?"

Nana looks down at the picture with tears in her eyes. "Thats so precious...today is her birthday."

"You said it."

"Said what?"

"Never mind you can keep it-as long as you're nice to Papa when he comes back."

Nana chokes back tears over the badly drawn picture. "Thank you." She kisses Rachel on the forhead. "Now go wash up and finish your breakfast then you can go back out and play."

Rachel shakes her head as she goes into the bathroom she doesn't remember doing anything other than taking the drawing stuff out of the old box. And she certainly doesn't understand why nana is so taken with such a horribly drawn picture.

-2-

Shedding the armor after a search around to make sure Red Torrent isn't hiding nearby-Shin slips back into he house though the back door and goes into Rachel's room. He pulls the box out from under the bed that her mama claimed to have found in an antique store with the name Yuriko carved on it in Japanese Calligraphy. He opens it and takes out the sketchbook then flips through its many detailed charcoal sketches until he comes across a new one-just as he suspected. This one is of him and Red Torrent in great detail just before the wave struck. One detail not present was the moon drawn in the sky The torrent of water that struck in the picture seems to come-not from the ocean-but to fall from the added moon toward Red Torrent. How did she do it just by drawing he wonders? He never told her anything about Suzanagi's version of torrent armor he now wears in any of the stories he has told her or about Red Torrent for that matter. He is struck now by the missing crest on the Red Torrent spear and lack of dagger that was apart of his original torrent armor-that hadn't occurred to him so many years ago when he first faced Red Torrent. Shin quickly looks back through the other sketches-he had only thought there was a connection with her last drawing after she found out about the dolphins being killed for food. Now he knows there is without a doubt. What can he do about it though-Rachel doesn't even believe she can draw at all. For now he puts it all back and leaves Rachel's room to make those phone calls to the others guys.

After finishing up her breakfast Rachel looks around out on the beach. Something was going on with her papa earlier but what? She finds the signs something happened out here. The sand is wet almost all the way up the beach. She passes very close to an armored warrior buried in the wet sand as she picks up a shell and runs back to her nana with it-a little more insurance to get her to be nice to papa till she goes home can't hurt.

A red armored hand reaches out of the sand just missing Rachel as she runs away. Its power is weakened but not yet spent and the others that are out there be damned it wants torrent. Weak and wounded it slowly crawls out of the blanket sand. It will bide its time gather strength and strike again and this time it will win.

* * *

Chapter 2 Playlist:

Shin and Red Torrent: The Devil Went Down to Georgia-Charlie Daniels

Nana: Where Do I Put Her Memory?-Charlie Pride

Rachel: Rose Garden-Lynn Anderson

Shin...is he or isn't he? clearly i wrote it as 'is' in this story. i've had numerous family weigh in on the subject after viewing both versions (Samurai Troopers and Ronin Warriors) those who said 'isn't' to Ronin Warriors version changed to 'is' pretty quick after seeing the original Samurai Troopers. i don't mean to offend anyone with the way i'm writing Shin's character here-i just went with my instincts on this one within the scope of the bigger TNG story that i'm telling.

i know i skipped over the fight. i've done that in the past cause i'm not good at writing them. in this chapter however that was intentional. the big fight in this story doesn't come until the last chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

i decided to separate this out from chapter 2 which it really the tail end of and make it stand on its own. i thought it would be a little easier to follow that way rather than pack it all into one chapter.

* * *

Red Torrent Returns

***3***

Later that night Shin is on the phone with Shu-who settled in Ireland-after having warned everyone else. Ryo was called first with Japan being closest to Australia then Seiji in Italy and Touma in England. Aside from helping Ryo while in Japan over the last year-Shin hasn't really looked for demons either left in or escaped from the nether realm causing trouble in the mortal world like the others. Since she was born little Rachel has been his primary focus.

"So you've been on the phone warning the rest of us since?"

"Pretty much. I thought you all might want a heads up."

"I appreciate that. I haven't really talked to anyone in awhile. Last I heard from Seiji he and his wife were thinking about trying for a second child."

"What about you and Katie-planning to expand your clan?"

Shu laughs at the thought. "Katie says little Seamus is enough of a hand full-she couldn't handle another one. Hey-seriously Shin-what's up I can tell something is still bugging you."

"This isn't just any nether realm demon. I told you about my fight with Naaza's evil Red Torrent right?"

"No way that things back!"

"It can look just like me now and it got close to Rachel...too close. Good thing Rachel's nana came along and dragged her away before I could confront it. I've told her stories..."

"...we've all done that-just in case our kids need to know someday and we aren't there to tell them."

"Yeah-but is it time to tell Rachel they're more than just stories after what happened with Red Torrent today?"

"That's something you will have to decide Shin."

"I keep thinking about Jun and how he ran into the middle of our battles sometimes."

"You worry Rachel might try that too?"

"I know she would try it." Shin winces groaning as he shifts in the chair by the phone.

"You okay Shin?"

"Fighting was a whole lot easier back when we were teenagers. We got hurt then but I'm sure we recovered a lot quicker."

"Too gung-ho for battle and hot blooded to care if we were hurt or not more like it."

"Speak for yourself."

"You were the same as the rest of us at first."

"I think that started to change during my fight with Red Torrent and what Kaos' spirit said to me during the battle...and I've been struggling with it ever since."

"I can understand what you've been going through now-with Katie and Seamus-sometimes I just want to give it all up now."

Shin hesitates for the fourth time. He wants to ask Shu if his son Seamus has any powers similar to the Stone armor but can't. He never saw anything like that with Ryo's son Daisuke and the Wildfire armor after all while he was in Japan-but then why doesn't Rachel's drawings she doesn't even know she can do affect the water?

"If you need help down there all you have to do is ask."

"I hear that your hands are pretty full in Ireland."

"Nether realm creeps seem to flock here for some reason-but I'm never to busy to help a friend."

"That goes both ways." Shin hears a crash in the background on the other end of the phone line. "What was that?"

"Seamus breaking something again-probably running around with a pot on his head and the broom pretending he's the warrior of Stone. I don't supposed you have that problem with Rachel."

"No-at least not yet anyway." Shin winces at the volume of something being yelled on the other end of the line in what he can only assume is Gaelic.

"Is it any wonder Katie doesn't want more kids? I better go see what he's into this time. Keep in touch."

"You too...bye."

"B-" Shu is cut off by another crash and more yelling in the background. "-Bye."

Rachel wanders into the room after her Papa hangs up the phone and just stands there looking at him a few moments before she finally speaks. "Are you okay Papa?"

"I'm a bit sore. You were right it has been a long time since I've been surfing and I'm not as young as I used to be. Sorry about this morning-I wasn't quite myself."

"Bad dreams again?"

"Bad dreams?"

"You had them a lot when we were in Japan-about me I think. I never meant to make you sad."

Shin is reminded again of Rachel's surfing accident-those clouds that rolled in so fast and that lightning a pinkish bolt like they would see when fighting the empire. "I'm not sad-not as long as I still have you. But can you understand that is why I'm so concerned about you going back out surfing? I don't want to lose you."

"Yeah-but I promise to be careful." Deciding he's okay now Rachel finally walks over and hugs her Papa. "Its almost bedtime. Nana said to come say goodnight." She speaks low. "Nana's bummed because its Mama's birthday. Is it my fault that Mama died when I was born?"

"Did Nana tell you that?"

"No but Mama did die when I was born-so Bob's your uncle?"

"I don't have an uncle named Bob." He gets a small giggle out of Rachel from that comment. "Its not your fault-never think that it was. Sometimes those things just happen. Your Mama loved you very much-never forget that."

Rachel nods her head as Nana who's spending the night comes in and tousles her hair as she kisses her on the forehead on her way to bed.

Shin looks up in surprise as Nana tips him a silent nod-which he returns. He watches bewildered as she leaves the room. It been a very long time since she showed any sort of nicety toward him. "Nana seems to have calmed down."

"I tried to draw a picture of an angel and she thinks it Mama. I gave it to her and a shell I found out on the beach."

"That was a nice thing for you to do." Shin is about to send Rachel off to bed but decides to wait a bit. "How about a story tonight?"

"One about the armored warriors again? Please?"

"You like those huh?"

He watches as she executes a few martial arts moves that would make even the most seasoned pro envious before she climbs up beside him in the chair-resting her head against his chest.

"You're getting good at that."

"I practice a lot-like that creepy old lady on the beach in Japan said to. Why do you think a woman her age would want hair the color of mine?"

"I have no idea."

"Not to be mean but she could have got someone else to dye it for her-that looked awful."

"I have to agree with you there." He remembers the unsettling feeling of noticing not just that old woman but several more with bad dye jobs just like hers that seemed to follow them around in Japan. He looks down at Rachel as she yawns-best to tell her what he has in mind now and get it over with while she's awake and before he looses his nerve. "Did I ever tell you about the evil torrent?"

Rachel looks up at her papa wide eyed. "Torrent turned evil? But he's my favorite..."

Shin hugs Rachel close as her shock turns to a sad pout. "No Torrent didn't become evil. I'm talking about an evil armor double of Torrent created by the Warlord of Venom-but Torrent didn't know that at first."

"What happened? Did the others get them confused like when that stuff happens in the movies?"

"No. The Evil Torrents armor was a deep crimson red instead of the light blue like Torrent."

"Why did the Warlord not have enough brains to keep track of which one was his evil double?"

Shin can't help but laugh at his daughter's humor. "That's a good question...at some point I'm sure the warriors wondered that about all the warlords."

"So what happened already?"

"You remember how the warriors were struggling with the white armor of inferno?"

"Yeah."

"Well Kaos' spirit came to them all in their dreams to help them. He told them that they needed to train their minds as well as their bodies to wield the power properly. When they woke up the next morning they all decided to go back to the places where their armor drew its power from."

"Where they ended up when the mean old Arago tried to get rid of them?"

"Exactly."

"So Torrent went to the whirlpools at Naruto? What did he do there?"

"He decided the best way to train his spirit was to swim right through them."

"Codswallop! Torrent swimming in those currents is impossible-even with his armor."

"Not really. Its not something people should attempt but its not impossible if you know how. As you might phrase it I had just enough kangaroos loose in the top paddock once to give it a go."

"Fair dinkum?"

"Fair dinkum."

"Crikey!" Rachel looks up at papa in awe for a few moments. "Were you blotto?"

"No I wasn't blotto."

"How did you do it?"

"Same way as Torrent. It is impossible to fight the currents. Even torrent made that mistake at first but then he realized all he had to do was let the currents carry him along."

"Bet it was a real rush."

"Don't get any ideas-little torrent. Your dare-devil surfing is enough."

"Little Torrent? I like that. So what happened when the Warrior of Torrent got through?"

"He was attacked by Arago's soldiers who were waiting for him to surface."

"Did he unleash the Wave Crusher on them?"

"He wasn't armored yet. He fought as many of the soldiers as he could that jumped into the water but soon he realized he was out numbered and that is when he put on the armor."

"Busaro Suiko!" Rachel fights back a yawn as the story is finally getting to the good part.

"That's right. With the armor of Torrent on in the water-fighting the soldiers was a piece of cake. But there were more of them in the evil floating boats in the sky above. Torrent leapt up onto one of them and took the soldiers in it down. But in the second one he came face to face with the evil red torrent. Torrent was in shock over seeing it at first. Then angered that it thought it was the real torrent."

"What did it do?"

"The evil red torrent was determined to do away with torrent. They ended up in the sea fighting where each of their armors were at their strongest but almost immediately venom started to leak from the evil one's armor and kill the fish."

"Torrent couldn't let it do that."

"No he had to get it out of the water and onto land even though it meant his armor wouldn't be as powerful. There is was a fierce battle between the two but Red Torrent was stronger."

"He was beating torrent?"

"Even the evil red torrent's version of the wave crusher was stronger. It looked bad for torrent as the evil red one gave him a real beating but then he heard the spirit of Kaos call out to him. Kaos told torrent that seeking more power in order to defeat the evil one would only make him like Arago if he followed that path. He had to give up the desire for power-the desire to win. Only by clearing his mind of all that would the armor respond to him."

"How did he do that?"

"He cleared his mind opening it-kind of like mediation and what came to him was as the red torrent attacked him again with the wave crusher that the attacks powers worked with the sea and that he could withstand it by letting the water flow through him and in doing so the armor could also purify what the red torrent was doing to taint it. But most importantly he had trained his spirit and that also strengthened his own attack and he unleashed all the wave crushers furry on the evil red torrent-smashing its armor and defeating it." There was more to the story but nothing he needs to go into now as he looks down at Rachel who is struggling to stay awake.

Rachel looks up at her papa something about the story and this morning wants to click in her mind but she's too tired to focus on it right now. "What about the Warlord he had to be there watching somewhere."

"I'll tell you about that some other night. Its time for bed now." As he gets up out of the chair it doesn't take Rachel long to fall fast asleep in Shin's arms. He carries her into her bedroom and lays her down on the bed-tucking her in with her favorite stuffed dolphin toy. "Goodnight little torrent." He lingers there by her bed wondering what happened to red torrent is it out there somewhere now hiding waiting to strike again when its least expected? Not knowing what happened to it-rather than going to bed Shin opts for a chair in the corner unwilling to leave his daughter alone while red torrent may still be out there somewhere.

* * *

Chapter 3 Playlist:

Shin: Hurt-Johnny Cash

Shu: Desperado-Johnny Cash

Rachel: Bridge Over Troubled Water-Johnny Cash

Nana: I Forgot to Remember to Forget-Johnny Cash

playlist notes-gotta love the man in black. everyone appearing in the story's current chapter gets a song so that's why red torrent doesn't have one in this one.

i kind of lost track of the fact that Rachel is prone to spouting off aussie lingo most of us wouldn't understand-even in the main story this is a prequel to and i think i tried to make up for all the miss opportunities here in this chapter. for those that don't know

Codswallop=non-sense

fair dinkum=true or genuine

crikey=an expression of surprise

blotto=drunk

and her favorite by far:

kangaroos loose in the top paddock=a few screws loose=lost his marbels=the lights are on but no body's home-etc.

and shin even had one here:

give it a go=try it

and i wrote myself into a hole in the main story when on the bridge in Naruto Rachel tells someone her dad claimed to have swam the currents there once after she was asked if she thought she could surf them. i decided to have him say it to her while he was telling her the story of the evil red torrent here. and i also fixed it so that this was the first time he had ever called her little torrent-a nickname that he would use for her from that point on.


	4. Chapter 4

and we come to the final chapter of this little tale. several days have gone by and nana has gone back to her home-cause i didn't want her around to see what's gonna happen. sorry it got put on hold for a while to complete a Ronin Warrior story for a contest entry i was working on b4 the deadline.

* * *

Red Torrent Returns-part 4

Even with Rachel's Nana having mellowed out its been one very long weekend for Shin and mostly because he's been constantly looking over his shoulder expecting Red Torrent to pop out at any moment. There has been no sign of him and no word that he has shown up to confront any of the other guys. He's only marginally relieved as Nana drives away having to return to her job. At least she won't be around when Red Torrent does return and he is sure it will. Shin looks down as Rachel turns and looks up at him.

"Don't you have to go back to work too?"

"Nice try little torrent."

Rachel tries to look innocent as she steals a glance toward the ocean and the gloomy looking clouds building up. "Try what?"

"No surfing on a day like today."

She huffs as a strong gust of wind kicks up. There is an electricity building in the air-she can feel a very bad storm brewing. Rachel looks up at him as he opens the door. "You haven't been to work in a year."

"They let me take time off. I'll have to go back soon-but not today." He pulls the door shut against the building wind outside once Rachel and he are inside.

Rachel runs into the family room flops down on the sofa in a huff and buries her head under one of the throw pillows.

Shin arches his eyebrow quizzically. That behavior is very unlike her since the accident she's always been on the go since she got to a point where she could move again. He walks over and pulls up the edge of the pillow looking at her.

She opens one eye looking up at her dad. "Whadayawant?"

Amused by her Aussie speak he throws out one he picked up. "Howya going?"

"Board."

"Board? We just came inside."

"Right."

"You lost me with that one. Are you agreeing or just being sarcastic?"

"Take your pick."

"I think you're just mad the weather is too bad to go surfing today."

In response Rachel pulls the pillow back down over her face.

"It could be worse."

Rachel mumbles through the pillow.

Shin can only assume she's asking how. "You could lay there sulking and miss out on brownie time."

She peeks out from under the pillow. "With ice cream?"

"And hot fudge...with whipped cream."

Rachel tosses the pillow aside and jumps up. "Hot fudge ice cream brownie sundaes!"

"I thought that might make you happy." Shin follows Rachel as she runs into the kitchen.

She opens the cabinet and starts rummaging around for a pan to make brownies in.

Shin cringes at the noise as he pulls out the ingredients from the top cabinets to make brownies. It reminds him of his phone call with Shu.

"What?"

He looks down at Rachel who now holds the brownie pan. "What do you mean what?"

"That look."

"Judging by that level of noise I think you would get along with Shu's son Seamus." He arches his eyebrow as Rachel gets a sudden faraway look in her eyes-kind of like the times when she draws. "Rachel?" Shin watches as she shakes her head as if to clear it and under her breath almost too low to hear he thinks he hears her mumble something about Seamus grown up and the only thing he thinks he can make out is the word blotto. "You okay?"

She cringes at thunder that now rumbles clearly in the distance. One thing she clearly remembers from the day of the accident is the thunder boom as she was struck by lightning. She looks at the metal pan in her hand and holds it up to her papa wanting to be rid of it.

Shin takes it and sits it down on the counter then kneels down in front of his daughter. Before he can speak she grabs hold of him burying her face in his chest.

"Scared."

He hugs her tight. "Its okay I won't let anything happen to you...I promise Little Torrent."

Rachel looks up at him seemingly soothed by the new nickname.

"Come on I've got an idea." Shin picks her up and carries her into another room. He opens a desk drawer with one hand and pulls out a battery powered mp3 player and earphones her mom had. Taking them back to the kitchen he sits Rachel down on the counter then opens a drawer puts in a new battery into the device and turns it on. He then adjusts the earphones for Rachel's smaller head and puts them on her ears. "Better?"

It isn't turned up loud but the music is loud enough to drown out the rumbling thunder. She nods but listens puzzled by the music. "What's an MMMBop?"

"I have no idea. You're mama liked those kinds of songs with a lot of non-sense words. Especially the oldies."

Rachel looks at the buttons on the music player figuring out how it works then changes the song and listens some more. "Papa oom mow mow? Mama sure had some funny taste in music." She pushes the button again gets more non-sense like papa said but her interest is piqued by the title that shows in the little display window and she listens for awhile.

"Find one you like?"

"...blue moon...you saw me standing alone..."

Shin picks Rachel up and sits her down off the counter. He laughs as she dances around the kitchen singing along. It shouldn't surprise him that would be the song she likes.

-4-

Red Torrent watches from outside the window sickened by the heart warming scene inside. Not just yet he thinks but very soon now.

-4-

Shin glances up at the window. Did he just see movement outside? He goes over for a closer look but sees nothing maybe its nerves getting the better of him he reasons as the wind gusts up again. He looks down as Rachel tugs on his pant leg.

She holds up the egg carton she took out of the fridge. "Are we gonna make brownie sundaes or not?"

He takes for of them from the carton and lets her put the rest back. Shin watches as Rachel puts them up then takes out a large bowl from a lower cabinet and drags a chair over the counter and climbs up on it. "Remember what else we need?"

Rachel sits the bowl down on the counter. "Flour and sugar and cocoa powder and oil and...vanilla."

Shin places the eggs in a bowl and finishes taking everything down out of the cabinets. "Think you can handle mixing the brownies while I work on the hot fudge and whipped cream."

"No worries."

He wishes there were nothing to worry about as he glances out the window again.

***4***

Several hours later as the worst of the storm has passed Shin watches Rachel as she naps on the sofa-stuffed from brownie sundaes. He drags himself up and goes into the kitchen. He puts the rest of the brownies into a storage container then begins loading up the dish water with the dirty dishes. As he looks out the window this time he knows he sees Red Torrent fully armored illuminated by a flash of lightning. He glances back at Rachel hoping she stays asleep and will be none the wiser to what is about to happen. Shin slips out the back door and walks down the beach in the rain toward Red Torrent.

"I thought it might have been your new armor at first but that power from our last fight it came from the girl didn't?"

"What she can't or can't do is of no concern to you." Shin holds up his armor orb. "Lets end this now."

"In a hurry to meet your end eh?"

Shin's only reply is to dawn his armor.

-4-

Inside Rachel tosses and turns on the sofa as she begins to dream. At first it is about her Papa in trouble out on the stormy beach but soon a fog rolls in and she finds herself in some ancient land. On the edge of a sea cliff is a woman in a kimono with red hair like hers. Rachel runs to the woman. "Mama?" she looks down as soon as she speaks to see the same box she has with Yuriko carved on the top in Japanese.

"No child...I'm not your mother. You wouldn't understand who I am if I told you and right now that isn't important. I need you to listen carefully to me Rachel and do exactly as I say when you wake up if you want to save Papa."

"Save Papa? From what?" She sees a sketch laying by the box this woman must have done. At first she thinks it is of the Warrior of Torrent but then she realizes that it is the evil double. Rachel look up at the woman wide-eyed. "Red Torrent."

"You must hurry, Rachel, for you will not be able to remember what I tell you for long once you wake. And the evil warrior will not allow Papa to walk away from their fight alive."

-4-

On the beach outside in the dwindling rain the two armored warriors face off. Shin brandishes his spear keeping up with Red Torrent-blocking him blow for blow.

"Why do you fight me Torrent? You know you are only prolonging your defeat."

"This won't end any differently than our first battle. I promise you that."

"Big talk. You seem to forget it was your daughter that saved you last time." Red Torrent uses Shin's flare up of anger over the comment about his daughter to his advantage-striking a blow with his spear that sends his opponent reeling. He doesn't let up he advanced on the elder warrior with relentless strikes not given him a chance to get his bearings.

-4-

"Papa!" Rachel screams as sits up. She wants to run off and find him now but she can't there is something else she has to do and quickly. She runs into the kitchen quickly locating the required items and then runs for her room and pulls the box out from under her bed.

-4-

Shin tries to roll out of Red Torrents strike range but as he move the evil warrior stays right with him. He refuses to give up. He can't let Red Torrent win. He manages to deliver a kick to the still injured Red Torrent that sends him sprawling into the wet sand.

-4-

Rachel tears the sketch she saw in her dream out of the sketchbook and holds it up. She then picks up the ice pick from the floor and begins stabbing the figure in the picture with it.

-4-

Red Torrent staggers back up only to fall down at a stabbing pain in his leg. He looks down to find a hole that seems to go straight through him.

Shin backs off as more holes suddenly appear in the warrior. He doesn't know what is happening but he can't risk letting him escape. He draws back his spear. "Chou Ryu Ha!" The armor power slams into Red Torrent full force.

-4-

Rachel lays the picture down when its full of holes then picks up a slice of bread and drags it across the picture smearing the lines of the figure. She stops after several swipes and drops the bread. She looks around having no idea what she was doing or why-then it comes to her that she was having a bad dream about Papa. She gets up and runs through the house looking for him.

-4-

After the attack Shin watches as first the form within the armor disappears and smokes seems to flow away from the armor left behind then the armor itself starts to disappear. The rain finally comes to an end as he hears Rachel call his name. He quickly sheds the armor as the front door bangs open.

"Papa?!"

He turns toward the house. "I'm over here Rachel."

She turns toward the sound of his voice then runs to him. "I had a bad dream about you and then I couldn't find you."

Shin sweeps her up into his arms as she reaches him. "I'm okay. Everything is okay now." He wipes away Rachel's tears.

Rachel hugs her papa tight. She looks over his shoulder at the ocean as the sun begins to break through the clouds. "Have a go at this!"

His first instinct is to panic that somehow the Red Torrent is back again but when he turns he sees a Rainbow over the ocean.

"I don't suppose we could surf out there and look for a pot of gold."

"I think for now we should just sit here and enjoy the view."

* * *

Chapter 4 Playlist:

Shin and Red Torrent: The Devil Comes Back to Georgia-Mark O'Connor

Rachel: The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia-Vicki Lawrence

why i made the playlists country themed for this story is beyond me. oh yeah i remember now-duh! The Devil's Down in Georgia and The Devil Comes Back to Georgia those two songs just seemed perfect for this story for Red Torrent and Shin.

i toyed with the idea of having Shu show up to help and maybe even bring the others with him-but in the end i wanted this to be just Shin and his daughter Rachel.

a few other explanations:

the mp3 player if it was something that sat in a drawer for years then odds are its not going to work without recharging if it has a built in rechargeable battery and given the circumstances of the story that isn't something shin had time to bother with in the story.

rachel's mama's taste in music i wanted something fun and light hearted to be on there for rachel to listen to and something she would think was strange too and yes i have a playlist like that also-go on roll your eyes at my taste in music. i got it all-rock to rap to r&b to heavy metal to gospel to pop to contemporary to country to folk to bluegrass-to techno-to accapella-i like a little bit of everything.

rachel's mumbled comment shin overhears pertaining to seamus future. that's just another of the odd things she does that she doesn't remember if people tell her about it later. and to why she's always bringing up the term blotto-she knows her nana drowns her sorrows in booze...plus i think she just likes that word for some reason.

NEW poll question in my profile-check it out.


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